Arcadia Stakes at Santa Anita - $150,000 (G2)

Dave Bond

Las Vegas, NV -- The 25th running of the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes comes our way this Saturday, February 4th from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Eight entries will race over one mile on Santa Anita's turf course for a $150,000 purse. The Arcadia Stakes is the first of three Grade 2 Stakes races on Santa Anita's packed Saturday Schedule and is open to horses four-years-old and older. It is the third race with a schedule's post time of 1:31 PM PST.

The field includes a heavy favorite, a highly regarded four-year-old that had success overseas and six others hoping to create a little momentum early in this horse racing season.

Here is a list of all the entries and the path that brought them to the Arcadia Stakes:

The Favorites:

Mr. Commons - Mr. Commons is coming off an impressive win at the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort Stakes on this same track, over the same distance on December 26th. Mr. Commons has a good history at Santa Anita - two wins and a second in three starts. He did have a rather disappointing Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs in November and he will start from the outside. But still, Mr. Commons has to be considered the overwhelming favorite for the Arcadia.

Pathfork - Pathfork brings a lot of hypes from his racing days in Ireland. He is unbeaten in three races overseas and will make his first start on American soil on Saturday.

Arcadia Stakes horse race betting from Santa Anita at Off Track Betting

The Others:

Calimonoco - This six-year-old was last out in the Grade 2 Citation handicap on November 26th at Hollywood Park - a third place finish. Calimonoco last raced at Santa Anita in October - a 7th place finish in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile Stakes.

M One Rifle - M One Rifle will race on dirt and around two turns for the first time on Saturday. Last time out, M One Rifle finished 5th in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita and before that finished third at the Grade 3 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes at Hollywood Park on November 26th.

Dewey's Special - Last time out won an Allowance Optional Claiming race at Santa Anita way back in March of 2010. Dewey's Special has 5 firsts, two second place and two thirds in 15 career starts.

El Gato Malo - came third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita on January 5th and won a similar race at Hollywood Park on December 7th. One good thing for El Gato Malo is Corey Natkani will be in the saddle on Saturday.

Willyconker - has done well in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races recently - second at Santa Anita on January 5th and first at Hollywood Park on December 18th.

Massone - raced to a disappointing 7th place in the San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita on January 7th and finished 4th in the Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park on December 3rd.

The Arcadia Stakes is Race 3 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a Post Time of 1:31 PM PST.

Post

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

1

Dewey's Special

J. Valdivia, Jr.

J. Mullins

2

Pathfork

J. Rosario

J. Sadler

3

M One Rifle

J. Talamo

B. Headley

4

Calimonco

V. Espinoza

J. Sadler

5

El Gato Malo

M. Garcia

C. Dollase

6

Willyconker (IRE)

R. Bejarano

D. O'Neill

7

Massone

C. Nakatani

T. Yakteen

8

Mr. Commons

M. Smith

J. Shirreffs